Free Hepatitis A Vaccinations

Free Hepatitis A Vaccinations

A special note from Neighborhood Health:

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We have something to celebrate! Today, Neighborhood Health vaccinated our 500th adult patient for hepatitis A since the Metro Public Health Department (MPHD) declared an outbreak seven weeks ago. These are at-risk adults because they are:

People who are experiencing homelessness;

People who use meth, heroin, or cocaine;

Men who have sex with men; and

People who have sex with anyone in one of the risk groups described above.

This ongoing vaccination work (and your help!) is increasingly urgent. Yesterday, MPHD confirmed 51 cases of hepatitis A in Nashville since December 2017. This is a 260% increase in the number of cases since late May 2018. Sadly, the future is deeply concerning: just north of us, Kentucky officials now confirm the state has the worst hepatitis A outbreak in the country. State officials there report 1,034 hepatitis A cases with 7 deaths across the state since November 2017. Looking at a more local level, Louisville officials report they have had 519 cases and 4 deaths associated with this outbreak.

Yet, Kentucky also offers some inspiration: health care workers there have vaccinated 76,082 people in the Louisville region alone in the past 9-10 months. That’s an awesome accomplishment — and it’s one you are helping us to replicate right here and right now. We are profoundly grateful for your support as we work with MPHD to stop this outbreak and protect some of our most vulnerable patients.